Frogless railway switch



July 21, 1925.

W. D. M CLELLAN FROGLESS RAILWAY SWITCH Filed July 28. 1924' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Suva-Micro July 21, 1925.

, 1,546,595 w. D. M =CLELLAN FROGLESS RAILWAY SWITCH Filed July 28. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 V a m Q H v noemfm Patented July 21, 1925.

WILLIAM nflnrconnmian, on HEIDELBEIRG, MISSISSIPPI. V

FROGLESS RAILVJAY SWITCH.

Application filed July 28,

To all whom it may concern: i

Be it known that I, VILLIAM D. McCLnL- LAN, a citizen of the Unitedstates residing at Heidel erg, in the county of Jasper and State of Mississippi, have invented a new and useful Frogless' Railway Switch, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railway cross ings and sidings and more particularly to frogless switches.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a switch for connecting a side track with a main'traek without cutting the rails of the main track and yet so construct the switch that the train whether running uponthe main track or the side track may pass the points of the switch without lia bility of derailing. V Another object is to provide switch of this character having a minimum number of parts adapting itto be cheaply constructed and assembled.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description r proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangementof parts and in the details of constructionhereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention- In the accompanying drawings:--

Figure 1 represents a plan View of a railway track with this improved switch and its operating mechanism shown applied;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a transvers section taken on the line 8-3 of Fig. 1.

In the embodiment illustrated the main track rails are shown at 1 and 2 while the rails 3 and 4 constitute the siding rails. The siding rail 3 terminates at one end adjacent the inner face of the main rail 2 and at its other end adjacent the inner face of the main rail 1, said siding rail 3 being disposed diagonally of the main track as is shown clearly in Fig. 1. The siding rail 4: terminates at one end adjacent the outer face of the main track rail 1 and extends in a plane parallel with that of the siding rail 3 the continuation of which is shown at 5. The rail sections 3 and 5 of the sidings 1924. Serial No. 728,724

are connected bya movable section 6 which extends diagonally across the main track rail 1 and is hinged at 7 to the rail section 5 while the other end thereof is inclined as shown at 8 and abuts the correspondingly inclined end 9 of the rail section 3. This movable connecting rail section 6 is made about an inch and three-quarters higher than the main track rail at the point where it crosses said track rail to enable the flanges of the wheels of the car to pass over the main line onto the siding without touching the main line rail. 1

Two movable switch points 10 and 11 are pivotally connected respectively with the.

inner ends of the rail sections 3 and 4:.

These pivoted points or sections 10 and 11 are designed to overlie the main track rails 1 and 2 when in operative position as shown in full lines in Fig. 1 and taper at their free ends to very thin flat points which lie onthe tread portions of the main rails and operate to direct the wheels of the car onto the switch rails. These points 10 and 11 gradually rise from their thin free ends to a point about one and three-fourths inches higher than the main track rail so that the flanges of the car wheels will pass over the main rails out onto the siding rails without touching the main rail. 1

The switch points or movable switch sec.- tions 10 and 11 are provided with braces 13, any desired number of which may be employed and which are designed to move ever wear plates 14. j

Blocks 15 are mounted on the railway ties at points'spaced from the inner face of the main rail-section 1 and from the outer face of section 2 respectively as is shown clearly in Fig. 1 and are designed to support the free ends of the switch points when swung into inoperative position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

Brackets 16 and 17 are secured to the switch points 10 and 11 and to an operating bar 18 which is reciprocable transversely of the main track for shifting the switch points into operative and inoperative position by means presently to be described.

A bar 19 is connected with the movable switch rail section 6 and with suitable actuating mechanism connected with the actuating mechanism of the switch points 10 and 11 as will be presently more fully described.

The switch rail section 6 is also equipped with a brace 6 similar to those 18 and which brace operates over a wear plate 14 Suitable switch operating mechanism is shown in Fig. 1 and comprises a lever 20 here shown provided with a plate 21 at one end with the corners of which are connected cables 22, 23, 24 and 25.

An operating plate 26 shown in the form of a cross is pivotally mounted at one arm on one of the railway ties with a wear plate 27 disposed between it and the tie. The opposed arm 28 of the actuating member 26 is longitudinally slotted and is connected with the bar 18 by a pin 29 extending into said slot so that when said plate 26 is rocked on its fulcrum the bar 18 will be reciprocated transversely of the main track.

The cables 24 and which are connected with the opposite corners of the lever carried plate 21 intersect each other midway their ends and have their outer ends connected respectively with the ends of the cross-shaped plate 26.

A cross-shaped plate 26 similar to the plate 26 is fulcrumed at one short arm on one of the railway ties and has its other arm slotted and connected by a pin and slot connection with the bar 19 so that when this plate 26 is rocked on its fulcrum the bar 19 will be reciprocated to open and close the pivoted switch section 6, said section being actuated in unison with the points 10 and 11.

A notched bar 30 is designed to receive the lever 20 for locking the switch points in either operative or inoperative position as desired, the full line position showing the points locked in closed operative position and the dotted line position showing them in open position.

A signal member is shown at 31 and is connected by a cable 32 with the lever 20 so that when said lever is shifted for opening and closing the switch'the signal will be correspondingly' and simultaneously operated to indicate either safety or danger.

From the above description it will be obvi'ous that a railway switch constructed in accordance with this invention is simple and cheap to manufacture doing away with the expensive frogs ordinarily used.

I claim 1. In a railway switch of the class described, the main track, a side track, a movable section in one of the rails of said side track adapted to swing diagonally over one or the rails of the main track when in operative position, and to swing outside said rail when in inoperative position, curved switch points carried by the inner ends of said switch rails and pivotally connected therewith, the free ends of said switch points being thin and overlying the treads of the main rail, means for swinging said switch into and out of operative position, braces for said switch points, and means for simultaneously moving said switch points and said movable side rail section.

2. In a railway switch, the combination of a main track and a side track, one 01"" the side or branch rails extending diagonally across one of the rails of the main track and having a movable section spanning said rail and extending above it a sufficient distance to permit a car wheel to pass thereover, curved switch points pivotally connected to the inner ends of said branch track rails and having reduced thin forward extensions to overlie the treads of the main track rails, braces carried by said curved ends, plates on which said braces slide during the movement of said points, supporting blocks for the free ends of said points to hold them when in open position, a bar connecting said points, a bar connected with said movable switch rail section, and means connected with said bars to actuate them simultaneously for moving the switch points and the movable switch rail section.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence 01 two witnesses.

IVILLIAM D. MGCLELLAN. lVitnes'ses R. LYON, J. H. J oNEs'. 

